this place sounds like fun i think i might apply next year

Okay I live in northern MN and call me dumb but where is Camp Ripley? Is it a bow only hunting situation? What time of the year does this hunt take place? Please load me up with as much info as you can. I would really like to learn about this place.

Stone, Camp Ripley is located in Morrison County. The nearest town is Little Falls. They have 2 seasons there and they are for 2 days each. The first season is during the second to last week in October, during the MEA school break, so it is on a Thursday and Friday. The second hunt is during the last weekend in October. This is the one that we usually go for because it is closer to the rut. It is a BOW ONLY hunt, no hanguns, rifles,or shotguns.
Ripley is a very large military sancuary, I believe it is listed at 144,000 acres. It is all open for hunting except for a few resticted areas. I truly think it is one the best places to harvest a trophy whitetail in Minnesota. They send out 2500 permits per hunt to the hunters that were successful in the lottery, but unly 1700 to 1800 of them actually show up and about a 1/4 them aren't around for the second day of the hunt. to say the least, the second afternoon is pretty quiet.
gruhotbigracks, how did you get a name like like that? Pretty cool, I like it! If you apply this year, don't be disappointed if you don't get drawn, a lot of times you have to apply twice to go. If you aren't drawn to go then you will be put on preference list and you will get to go the following year if you apply. A lot of time we only get to go every other year, once in a while we get 2 years in a row. So don't get discouraged and keep applying. Watch the DNR website for times you can apply. You can usually apply between July 1st till about the first week in August.
Good luck and hope this helped you some, just ask if you have other questions. Good Luck

Do these (potential) deer harvests count on your normal bow tags and or rifle tags (if you shoot a buck). Or is this a totally different situation. I think I would love to try this once.

I too will be applying for the first time this year. A few of my friends have been going for quite a few years so i am going to join up with them this year, hopefull we all get drawn.

The dates are October 20-21 and 29-30th and the fee to apply is $8 dollars.

I found out all the info i needed to know at this site
http://www.dma.state.mn.us/cpripley/...arch_hunt1.htm

I dont know how to add a web link so you might just have to type it in.

My brother, brotherinlaw, and I have hunted it different years and my brother in law took a decent buck there once. The times I hunted it I was overrun with hunters in every location I went to. In my opinion, they let about 1000 too many hunters in there per season and not sure if I'll ever go back. Nice place to hunt but far too many people...

Does any know if you have to use your deer liscense or do the issue one to you, how does that work? Thanks guys

If it's like the other military bases I've hunted, which it probably is, you use your regular tags and license. The military is just in charge of managing how many deer are taken and what can be hunted and who can hunt and when they can. Usually you check it in at the base. All of the bases are different, I've had draw, first come first serve, zones with allotted number of hunters allowed per zone and other bases where they walk you to the stand and you better not be more than five feet from that spot until they come get you or you get the boot and can't come back.

anyone getting ready to apply and go yet? I know i cant wait to apply.